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Title Ship's Papers: Zenobia
Reference MSS-43, box 2, folder 8
Library Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum
Collection Nathaniel Kinsman Papers, 1784-1882
Collection Series Business Papers
Date 1839-1843
Description Various business letters and accounts related to the ship. First letters mentions ports in India and China. Insurance documents from the 'Oriental Insurance Company'. Accounts for various goods, including cotton, in ships bound for ports 'beyond the Cape of Good Hope'. Discussion of ship bound for Batavia, carrying rice and cotton. Further discussion of stops at Java and Canton.This letters looks really good for understanding the processes of maritime trade. Further discussion of Madras and Calcutta.
Document Type Manuscript, Shipping Papers
Theme(s) Trade and Commerce
Keywords invoice, ship, voyage, goods, commodity, merchandise, trade, business, bills, finance, cargo, freight, shipping, rice, cotton, textiles, insurance, supercargo, sugar, coffee, instructions, bill of lading, insurance, tea, invoice
Countries Indonesia; China; India; South Africa; Philippines; UK; USA
Places Cape of Good Hope; London; Huangpu
Ports Jakarta, Indonesia; Guangzhou, China; Kolkata, India; Chennai, India; Boston, USA; Manila, Philippines; Salem, USA; Hong Kong, China; New York, USA
Company Oriental Insurance Company; Russell and Company
Ships Zenobia
People Daniel Parker
Additional Information

Nathaniel Kinsman (1798-1847) was the eldest son of Nathaniel (1775-1808) and Deborah (Webb) Kinsman. He served as a clerk on the Union, advancing to supercargo in two years, after which he continued to sail ships for William Gray and Pickering Dodge. By 1830, Nathaniel was part-owner and master of the Parachute. Between 1834 and 1839 he stayed in Salem, Massachusetts, and married Rebecca Chase (1810-1882) with whom he had four children. In 1839, Nathaniel returned to the sea as master of the Zenobia, owned by Daniel Parker of New York. After a venture to ship tea from Canton to New York failed to make a large profit, Nathaniel accepted the offer of a partnership with Wetmore and Company. He left Salem for China in June 1843 with his wife, two children, a niece and a servant. Once his family were settled in Macao, Nathaniel left for Canton to establish a new house for the firm. His wife remained in Macao, serving as a secretary and as the official business hostess for Wetmore and Company. The family lived in China for three and a half years. Nathaniel died in Macao on 30 April 1847. Rebecca returned to Salem in June 1847. In 1865 she married Joseph Grinnell of New Bedford.

Please note that some of the metadata for this document has been drawn from the Peabody Essex Museum catalogue.

Copyright Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum